The other side of One to One⇢

The end of Apple’s training program has an upside for some businesses, like the Apple Retailer Peter Cohen works for:

Apple makes its computers and portable devices very easy to use, but let’s not deceive ourselves: Even Apple products can still be overwhelming, confusing and just plain scary for many. For them, One to One assistance and other individualized training is really helpful.

The problem is that individualized training purchased as a package is a money-loser for the store. We’re not compensated by Apple for training customers in any way. When a customer buys the $99 deal from us, they’re getting customized training for $10 an hour, which doesn’t even cover the employee’s wages.

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The end of One to One

MacRumors is reporting that Apple is ending its One to One program:

MacRumors recently learned that Apple’s One to One training program for Mac, iPhone and iPad may be coming to an end soon, and we can now confirm that Apple Stores are holding meetings with retail employees about phasing out the membership-based service, which has been available under its current name since May 2007. One to One members should be informed about the changes in the near future.

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All about all-in-ones⇢

This month, in my Apple History column at iMore:

When I was in high school, I worked at the student newspaper, laying out pages on a 1998 Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One.

I’m of the mindset that this machine—dubbed the “Molar Mac” for its tooth-like appearance—is historically important, as it helped reintroduce the Mac community to AIOs that mattered. It’s also the closest in design to Apple’s perhaps most significant AIO of the 1990s: The original iMac, with its translucent plastic and swooping curves. The Molar Mac has largely been forgotten, set out to pasture with a bunch of other old Macs that no one really remembers. But it paved the way for something great.

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Connected 54: Tim is the New Cook⇢

This week on Connected, the band was reunited as Federico returned from vacation to discuss the iPad Pro and humans in the real world.

My thanks to these sponsors:

  • Arq: Arq automatically backs up all your Macs and PCs. Your files are stored securely, readable only by you.
  • Fracture: Photos printed in vivid color directly on glass. Use code ‘CONNECTED’ to get 15% off.
  • Squarespace: Build it Beautiful. Use code WORLD for 10% off

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What I would like to see in the iPhone 6S Plus

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p data-preserve-html-node=“true”>After purchasing an iPhone 6 last year, I settled into owning a 4.7-inch phone. There were things I didn’t like, but overall, I was pretty happy with the device.

Then everything was ruined when I switched to a loaner iPhone 6 Plus for a couple of weeks. I ended up buying one, and I haven’t looked back.

There are compromises when it comes to having such a large phone. It’s bulky in some pockets, and I look like I’m holding a piece of pizza next to my face when I’m talking on it, but the improved screen, battery life and camera make it worth it for me.

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Windows 95 hysteria⇢

I grew up in a PC household, and didn’t use a Mac with any regularity until my sophomore year of high school.

The first computer I ever used was my dad’s NEC laptop, running Windows 3.1. A few years later, my parents bought a Gateway PC running Windows 95, which blew my mind as a 9 year old kid.

What I remember most is being impressed was the user interface. It was much easier to use than Window 3.1, with the Start menu leading the way to a new, more organized world.

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How to fix a stuck Time Machine backup

I hit a wall yesterday with my MacBook Pro.

Time Machine is just utterly broken on my MacBook Pro running Yosemite. Just going to use this black MacBook from now on, I think.

— Stephen Hackett (@ismh) August 23, 2015

Why do you lie, liar? http://t.co/hZ4JnNkQb8

— Stephen Hackett (@ismh) August 23, 2015

(My tweeting went downhill from there.)

In short, Time Machine would start, but get stuck after just a few moments. Sometimes, it would stall on Preparing Backup… and other times, it’d get a couple of hundred megabytes done (out of several gigabytes it needed to do) then stop.

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RSS Sponsor: Claye — The Weirdest Album You’ll Hear All Year⇢

Claye is an independent experimental pop album about the last thirty seconds of your life. It was created similarly to the way that many of your favorite apps were made: just one guy alone in his apartment with some computers and a copy of OmniFocus, trying to make something great.

If you’ve never heard Claye before—you probably haven’t—I’d suggest listening to these songs to start:

  1. Butter
  2. Weird
  3. Mouse Trappe

Once you’ve got the hang of it, give the whole album a try from start to finish. You can listen to Claye on Apple Music, Spotify, or buy it directly from the musician himself.

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